Tuesday, 27 December 2016

Statsraad Lehmkuh, a 102-year-old Norwegian barque was docked at Lerwick, Shetland. I didn't know the name of the ship or anything about her, but it was clear that it is not just another boat. And also Lerwick was invaded by Norwegian cadets, so I assumed that this should be some kind of training vessel and after short research as it happens my guess was correct.

I've seen this pretty big flock of Greylag geese (Anser anser) hanging the last few weeks around the Sumburgh farm, Shetland. Here my new Panasonic Lumix TZ80EB proved its superzoom claim, the distance was so great that there was no way for me to tell for sure the species with naked eye.

Saturday, 17 December 2016

I managed to take a few pictures and short video of pair of the largest and meanest species from the gulls' family, the Great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus) at Grutness, Shetland. It was fortunate that I've seen them just when I went out to test my new camera with its superzoom, because the distance was great enough for me to not be sure of the species only by looking at it with naked eye.

For one reason or another I've rarely seen these birds from close. Maybe where I've been they were too shy or some other reason, but for me is pretty rare experience to have a good look at one of them.

Sunday, 11 December 2016

I bought a new Panasonic Lumix TZ80. Seems that currently this is the only model on the market, which is compact enough to be carried in pocket, have binocular-like zoom (30x or 35mm camera equivalent: 24-720mm) and good enough freedom with the settings, so I can use it for a bit more then point and shoot. There are several close competitors, but in each case there was something missing for my needs, which include taking pictures of wildlife and other things from great distances, taking pictures from distance, manually adjusting most of the settings and the ability to carry the camera with me while climbing for example. The only other thing I needed it to be was water or at least weatherproof, but alas at this moment such beast doesn't exist yet.

Thursday, 8 December 2016

Just had a closer look at one of the stone houses found everywhere around in Shetland. It looks nearly fully made from stone, even the roof tiles. I guess this way of building became popular because the type of rocks found on Shetland is particularly suitable for stacking and stonemasonary, it splits neatly on smaller flat blocks, it doesn't have very high density and its found everywhere around.

Thursday, 1 December 2016

Finally I managed to see real raven (Corvus corax) from close. I was near Sumburgh, Shetland. Somehow until now I never could have a good look on one of these in the wild, they are just too cautious in Europe and the best chance for seeing one is actually a zoo or the Towers of London. As far as I know it is the more common subspecies C. c. corax and not the much rarer C . c. varius, from Iceland and the Faroe Islands, which also had the very interesting color morph called "Pied raven", which sadly went extinct due to excessive killings.

Monday, 28 November 2016

I observed a bit of the training of the Shetland's Coast Guard at West Voe of Sumburgh. The wind was very strong with sharp gusts of probably 50-60km/h, there was rain, but still the helicopter managed to stay pretty fixed in one place and the guy at the end of the rope rescued successful the drowning dummy :)

Monday, 21 November 2016

Kayaking from Sandwick to Mousa Island, where we found a few very cute seal pups and visited the Mousa Broch. Parts of the structure are about 2000 years old and that'e very impressive. It stood through the centuries unmouved by wind, rain and any kind of bad weather that the Shetland Islands can offer.

The island itself is pretty small, just few km across and its name means the moss island in Norsk if I remember correctly. It doesn't seem to be visited very often and probably that's why seal pups can be seen laying around.

When we were about to leave the shore and to continue a bit more around the islands, so we can see the caves too, one of the guys (who was going out in the see with kayak for first time in his life) capsized about 50 m into the sea and I had to drag him out of the water. However he didn't have wetsuit or any kind of protection and after been submerged fully he spend some more time in the 3 C degrees water and when he got back in his kayak he proceeded to paddle in the wet clothes another hour until we got to the mainland. Now I am thinking if this happened in the middle between the two cosasts he would've been in big trouble, I just don't see an easy way to get him back in the kayak or to drag him through 3-4 km of icy water.

So, the day was pretty interesting

View from the Sandwick's pier. Mousa can be seen just around the corner

Sandwick's pier

Into the sea

There was some rain in the begining but later on it stopped

My mates having a cigarette break

The Mousa Broch could be seen across the strech

When we got out on dry land the very first thing we've seen was a seal pup

I am not an expert but it looks like grey seal

And like all seal pups its very cute

But seems its mother left it alone, so it was scared of us and I decided to leave it alone, I am no sure but these seals seems to leave their pups like that on the shore. On this picture it really looks like puppy.

Another seal pup, a bit older

Probably grey seal pup also

A view from Mousa

The Mousa Broch, Over 2000 years old stucture

Inside in one of the chambers in Mousa Broch

The stairs inside the double wall in the Broch of Mousa. Some of the steps are less then the width of my palm

Inside of the Broch of Mousa

View from the top of the Mousa Broch

View from the top of the Broch of Mousa

Small seal colony on the Mousa Island

Grey seal pups at Mousa

Seal pups

Seal pups, on this picture they are like sea puppies

The seal pups looking at us

The way to the Mousa caves

Our capsized mate (in the blue clothes) getting out of the water his kayak